The first historic building we visited was the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi which was built in the late 1800s on the site of two previous churches from the 1700s and the 1600s.
My favorite part of the plaza was the Palace of the Governors which dates back to 1610 and is the oldest public building in the United States. The front porch is lined with Native American vendors selling jewelry. Of course I was drawn to this like a magnet. I bought a couple of copper bangles form an elderly Navajo woman since I'm all about copper jewelry now.
We ate lunch at the Plaza Cafe which is the oldest restaurant in Santa Fe. I don't have a picture of it, but the restaurant merits a mention because I had one of the all-time best meals I've ever eaten in my entire life. I ordered the Cashew Mole Bowl which is made up of pinto beans, Spanish rice, shredded chicken and smothered with the mole sauce. It's topped with sour cream and served with a sopaipilla. The description doesn't do it justice. I ate every bite and would have licked the bowl clean if it had been socially acceptable to do so.
We traveled along the Turquoise Trail which is a national scenic byway between Albquerque and Santa Fe. On the way home we stopped in Madrid, a tiny, funky artist community along the trail, and spent some time shopping there. Definitely an interesting cast of characters. The man running the Madrid Gift Emporium (pictured below) was an Irishman who has lived all over the world. We got a kick out of another shop owner who was the crankiest woman I've encountered in awhile. She contradicted everything we said. She pretty much works seven days a week so I think I'd be cranky too if I never got a break.
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